Vertical Stripes

I love this format. Because it shakes me up, because it irritates me, because it doesn’t allow me to revert to old habits, because it forces me.

I have an idea, maybe I have seen someone who intrigues me or irritates me, makes me smile or annoys me. I follow them, am close on their heels. I want to capture them, first in my head and then on paper. All good, all ready, everything under control.

But then I go and choose this format: vertical stripes. Then the drama begins. The figure is not enough, it needs an above and a below. And under the below it needs some more. Thus the dialogue begins: a story whose end is unknown to me. But I do know it isn’t going to be easy.

Those are the vertical stripe stories …

Schmimo 2016